By: Usman Fambuleh
Freetown, June 9, 2026– The Patriotic Advocacy Network (PAN) has expressed serious concern over what it describes as an alarming increase in examination malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Sierra Leone.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), PAN warned that widespread cheating, exam leakages, collusion, bribery, and the use of “ghost students” are threatening the credibility of the country’s most important secondary school examination.
The organization stated that WASSCE has traditionally served as a key measure of students’ readiness for higher education and should be conducted with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. However, PAN said the current situation is undermining public confidence in the examination system.
According to the advocacy group, the growing trend of malpractice is having two major effects. First, it is demoralizing hardworking students who spend years preparing for examinations only to see others gain unfair advantages through cheating. Second, it is contributing to what the organization called the “normalization of corruption” among young people and society at large.
PAN noted that examination malpractice has existed for years but argued that the problem has now reached an unacceptable level. The organization warned that failure to address the issue could jeopardize the intellectual and economic future of Sierra Leone. Similar concerns about examination malpractice have been raised by educational stakeholders and anti-corruption authorities in the past. ([Anti-Corruption Commission SL][1])
The group further stated that the crisis poses a direct threat to national development and civic values. It called on the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education to immediately introduce stronger monitoring mechanisms and stricter enforcement measures across examination centres nationwide.
PAN emphasized that the problem involves multiple actors within the education system, including some school administrators, teachers, parents, and examination officials. The organization revealed that it is currently preparing a comprehensive position paper that will identify the causes of the problem and propose practical solutions.
The advocacy group also expressed its willingness to work closely with the Ministry, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and other stakeholders to combat examination malpractice.
PAN concluded by requesting an urgent meeting with the Education Minister to discuss collaborative strategies aimed at protecting the integrity of public examinations and safeguarding the future of Sierra Leone’s education system.
The letter was signed by Ansumana Keita, Team Lead of the Patriotic Advocacy Network, and copied to the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and WAEC.
